You Asked It!

Making Sourdough Starter

Sourdough Starter
Sourdough starter
Photo: Colorado State University Extension

Want to learn how to make a sourdough starter? Fermentation is a combination of art and science. It also takes time, proper temperature, moisture, acidity, nutrients, and production of carbon dioxide.

Best practices to remember include:

  • Safe food handling methods such as clean hands and equipment plus using quality ingredients.
  • Flour is a raw food! Do not taste raw sourdough starter.
  • Wild yeasts are inactive on their own, but activate with water. Traditional sourdough starter does not use commercial yeast.
  • Take care of your starter to survive and grow. This helps stabilize microbial volume and improve the metabolic process.

Source: Food Smart Colorado

About Karen Blakeslee

The Rapid Response Center was formed in 1995 as a resource for Kansas State University Research & Extension Agents. Resource topics included Food Science, Human Nutrition, Food Service, Textiles, Home Care and other consumer topics. Since that time, the Center has grown to be of valuable assistance to Kansas State University Extension Specialists in those areas.